HEART OF THE CITY FARMERS’ MARKET

Making healthy eating accessible!

OVERVIEW

• About our market• Benefit programs – tokens & vouchers• Farmers Market Promotion Program• EBT & Market Match• Challenges/Gaps• Future

Wednesdays 7am -5:30pm

Sundays 7am – 5pmrain or shine,most holidays

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE • Independent, non-profit, farmer-run, started 35

years ago with a mission to: • Bring fresh, affordable food to TL• Protect small farming

• Keeps prices low• Low stall fees, no fee if absent• Long market hours for extra convenience • Pay some processing fees for farmers

• Cultural foods for diverse populations• Donates over 1,000 pounds of produce at the end

of market day• Most successful EBT program in California

• $1 out of every $14 spent at California farmers’ markets

CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS

• Use:• Just like cash in the

market, can buy anything

• Receive actual change back

• No fee • Never expire

CalFresh EBT

• Change food stamps portion into $1 tokens

• Use• Can buy anything except hot

prepared food and flowers• No change given• Never expire

• We match EBT purchases dollar-for-dollar up to $7 each market day.

• Ex: • $3 EBT purchase = $3 free• $7 EBT purchase = $7 free• $10 EBT purchase = $7 free

• Use• Fruits and Vegetables only• No change given• Never expire

EatSF • Use• Customers bring voucher

to info tent, sign and date, check off produce likely to buy

• Each sheet worth $5 (5 red tokens)

• Fruits and Vegetables only• No change given • Never expire

WIC Vouchers• Runs May to November• WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

• $4 voucher for fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

• Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

• $2 voucher for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey.

• Use • Directly with vendors • No change given• Must use whole voucher with one

vendor

VeggieRX Vouchers

• Run by Fresh Approach• Behavior change program for low-

income people at risk of obesity, attend classes and receive $2 fruit and vegetable “prescription”

• Use• Directly with vendors• No change given• Must use whole voucher with one

vendor

SNAP & NUTRITION EDUCATION OUTREACH

• Adding education to our mission: demystifying produce

• USDA’s Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant

• Break down barriers to healthy eating in the Tenderloin

• Awareness• Knowledge• Comfortability• Utilization

Tabling Workshops

Tours Cooking Demos

MARKET MATCH

• California’s healthy food incentive program

• Matches customers’ SNAP benefits• Ecology Center leads coalition• California Market Match Consortium:

234 farm-direct sites across California

• USDA’s Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant

• Matches non-federal sources dollar-for-dollar

• EC awarded $3.7 million between partners

MARKET MATCH AT HOTCFM

• Secured $410,000 over 2 years• Generous donations from Kaiser

Permanente, Bi-Rite Market, and PES Environmental generated $51,000 in incentives

• Distributed $157,635 in incentives from June 2015 – January 2016

• 1/4 of all MM partner incentives distributed at HOTC

• $2,500-$5,000+ EBT sales a day• $1,000-$3,000+ MM given a day

MARKET MATCH IMPACT ON EBT

• Increased EBT participation by 29% in 6 months

• Largest EBT program at California farmers’ markets

• 75% of all EBT sales at SF farmers’ markets

EBT CUSTOMERS

June 2015 – January 2016 data:• 23,273 customers• 3,210 new Market Match

customers • Over 200 new customers a month

• 200-500+ customers a day depending on weekly & monthly cycles

IMPACT

• Fights food insecurity, promotes health, supports local farming and community.

• Connected over 3,000 area EBT customers with fresh, healthy food they may not have purchased.

• Increased farmer revenue in 2015• $204,759 with incentives & increase

in EBT

Preliminary CMMC survey data:• EBT shoppers

• 77% said MM a reason for visiting market today

• 76% said because MM, fresh fruit & veg bought increased

• Farmers• 80% said sell more fruit and veg

because MM• Some even hiring more workers,

planting more crops

CHALLENGES, GAPS, & THE FUTURE

• Huge demand, difficult to secure enough incentives

• Only $7 now, may have to reduce…• Reallocate funds from other

partners• Reapply in Nov. 2016 for 2017

season, hope for donors• SSI/SSDI/WIC have no match

• Hear complaints daily• Thankful for EatSF• Want to do more to bridge this

gap, but no funds available

• AB 1321• Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant

Program• Fund could be used to apply for

federal match• Passed last year, establishing

framework, but providing no funds• Would include funds for

SSI/SSDI/WIC matching

THANKS!

madelyn@hotcfarmersmarket.org